


everybody wants somebody (except me)

by theriveroflight



Series: ML Fanfic Discord Character Appreciation Month [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aromantic Asexual Alix Kubdel, Aromantic Asexual Max Kanté, Aromantic Awareness Week, Assumed Relationship, Gen, Light Lila Salt, Queerplatonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22781368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight
Summary: QPR shenanigans!Or: 5 times where Alix and Max are thought to be in a romantic relationship by someone, and one where someone doesn't.
Relationships: Lê Chiến Kim/Ondine, Max Kanté & Alix Kubdel
Series: ML Fanfic Discord Character Appreciation Month [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1631389
Comments: 25
Kudos: 161
Collections: February 2020 - Character Appreciation





	everybody wants somebody (except me)

**Author's Note:**

> Kind of a sequel to [this fic.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21660367)
> 
> Happy Arospec Awareness Week! Coincidentally, our Character Appreciation Month happened to have Alix today, so I wrote a fic.
> 
> Being assumed to be in a relationship really sucks.
> 
> Feb 17th - Alix

1\. Eavesdropping

It was an accident, she would swear afterwards to anyone who asks. (Nobody does, so she'll take it to the grave.)

**_nerd (and qpp):_ ** _ hey can you find Markov? my phone is telling me that he isn't in my locker _

_ wait why _

_ you're already out of the room, I can't leave because you and Lila are already out _

_ fine...but you owe me _

_ I owe you a lot of things _

_ but can you do this for me??? _

_ already said i’d do it chill _

“Like, literally  _ everyone  _ in my class is dating someone,” she hears from down the hall, an abandoned room.

She rolls her eyes. Lila’s skipping class to chat with someone over the phone?

“What, are you pissed that you don’t have your little boytoy yet?” she hears faintly. Speakerphone?

“Give it time. I’ll get there.” Lila sounds determined. “But for now, yeah. All of them are goddamn good with each other, and they go on all these group dates  _ all the time.  _ Even that one girl that I was talking to you about-”

“The jocky one that hangs out with the jock and the nerd you thought were gay together?”

“Well, she’s dating the nerd, so clearly not.”

That’s when Alix sees red.

“Hey, Lila?” she asks, knocking on the door.

“Gotta go,” she hears Lila say. “Alix? What do you want?”

“Mme Bustier was concerned about you, she thought that you maybe got caught up in something. I was sent to come find you.”

“Wait, why?”

“Well, she doesn’t want you to miss too much of class on a simple  _ bathroom trip.”  _ Alix smiles, and refuses to betray her insincerity.

“Al _ right,”  _ Lila answered. “Let’s  _ go.” _

Success.

(Alix finds Markov on her way back, texting Max that she put Markov in her locker.)

2\. Texting

As an exchange for what happened when Adrien accidentally played host to a big party, the boys are going to start a school community garden.

She comes along to help them out, although Rose tries to discourage her. "Alix, it’s their project. We're going to have fun! Lila's bringing Mario Kart, and we’re going to do other stuff, too."

"No thanks. I'm not interested," she responds. "Today’s really nice. I would much rather be outside."

**_nerd (and qpp):_ ** _ hey we're all arriving now _

_ yeah yeah yeah be there in a sec got held up _

_ k see you soon! <3 _

_ wait!!! did you just...use text speak?! _

_ yes, but most of all are you okay with the heart? _

_ i mean yeah sure I can vibe _

_ but not very often _

_ alright. _

_ did you know that in a Twitter survey, 45.6% of responders said they were receptive to qprs? _

_ cool doesn't change that gp doesn't really know about them _

_ are you texting and skating? _

_ yea why? _

_ look up! _

She looks up just in time to stop before she collides into a T-posing Kim.

He bursts into laughter. "I was wondering if you'd notice."

She shakes her phone. "I have skills, Kim. Skills that you could never touch."

"Who were you texting and did they tell you about it?"

She takes a break from changing into sneakers to lightly shove him.

"It was Max, wasn't it?" She rolls her eyes,

"And what about it?"

"Well," he answers, "he definitely warned you about me. Also congratulations on your relationship!" He runs away as she tugs her other sneaker around.

"Get back here!" she calls, running after him.

Marinette's also there to help them out. Adrien and Max did all the engineering, and the rest of them are here to just cater to the whims of the other two.

"So why aren't you at girls' day?" she asks Marinette.

"Lila's going to be there, and her presence makes me feel unsafe."

"I'd think it'd be the other way around, but now that you do say that, it's a non-starter for me, too."

Marinette frantically looked around. "What happened?"

"She just...made a wrong assumption. And she was also skipping class to chat on the phone, so I'm unenthused about that."

"She threatened to take away all of you," Marinette says, waving her hand around. "And it seems like it's succeeding."

They're still planting seedlings, but there's a new understanding between them.

3\. Repeating

In class, they all head up to the roof to look at the fruits of their labor. The rest of the class tags along, too.

"You guys did a good job," Rose says.

"Yeah," Juleka adds.

Of course, Chloé's the one to ruin it. She scoffs. "This looks like a bunch of toddlers built it. Unprofessional, utterly unprofessional."

Lila shyly speaks up. "I know some engineers, maybe they can help?"

Marinette glares at Lila. "Max and Adrien are some of the smartest people I know. The garden's engineering was done by them and Markov, and yes, the bed isn't aesthetically at it's best, but none of us are professional carpenters."

"Of course you would back  _ Adrien,"  _ Lila retorts.

"Marinette, Lila, stand down," Mme Bustier commands.

Marinette backs off with an apology. Lila brushes it off.

"Not going to defend your boyfriend?" Rose whispers.

"I already  _ told  _ you, we aren't dating, Rose," she hisses in return. "And Madame said to back off the topic."

"You don't have to hide it, Alix!"

The ironic thing is that she  _ isn't  _ hiding the truth.

4\. Outing

Alix knows that something's happening when her phone lets out a ding.

**_nerd (and qpp):_ ** _ Kim invited us to go to his swimming comp & then a late lunch after him and Ondine have finished their events _

_ when? _

_ Saturday. _

_ sounds good _

But she sighs, because Ondine's involvement means that Kim is probably thinking of this as a double date.

It's not that Alix hates Ondine. Alix doesn't hate people very often. And as a fellow athlete, she has respect for Ondine - but Ondine is the representation of that which she detests most of all, romance.

* * *

Saturday comes. She meets Max outside where the meet is taking place, and goes in. They split the bill for tickets, and take their place up in the stands. Kim spots them and waves.

Both Kim and Ondine do amazingly, and she's a little suspicious about how Kim's hair still looks like  _ that _ when it should be at least flattened by the swimcap.

"You two look nice today!" Ondine gushes. Alix rolls her eyes. Max thanks her, though.

She nudges him and whispers, "We can't keep letting these people assume these things."

"I mean. It's easier than telling the truth." But he looks a little ashamed.

" _ Platonic friends  _ is easier than explaining the truth. Romance is too easy."

"Redundant!" he replies, calling her out.

Other than that, the lunch goes well. The food is good, and they end up splitting the bill between the four of them.

5\. Making

She discovers the concept of ace and aro rings browsing around online.

_ latest impulse purchase: silicone ace/aro rings _

**_nerd (and qpp):_ ** _ the black and white ones? I was thinking about getting them too, probably ceramic for me _

_ i can make them in art club _

_ wait really? _

_ it's cheaper than buying them _

_ alright! _

She makes the rings over the next few art club meetings, and Max loves how they come out.

"Isn't it a bit early for that?" Nino asks them. "Like, Alya and I aren't even there yet, and we've been together the longest."

"It...isn't like that," Max says. "Call it a symbol of our friendship."

She smiles at Max. "Yeah. I made them during art club, it was a lot of fun. Not the sort of thing I typically do, but it was cool."

Nino shakes his head. "Whatever."

+1. Accepting

They go out for ice cream and sit by the riverbank again.

A stranger taps her on the shoulder with their left hand. (She notices the white ring adorning their middle finger.) Max is grabbing their ice cream, and she's been assigned to grab a spot.

"You and your zucchini seem really happy."

"Thank you?" she answers. "We, uh, are."

"I have a queerplatonic partner too. I know teenagers can be judgemental, but you find the right people."

Oh. The stranger is like them. "Thank you."

Max approaches with their ice cream. "What was that about?"

"Just someone like us."

They enjoy their ice cream, together in peace.

**Author's Note:**

> [ Join the ML Fanfiction Discord!](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)
> 
> Aphobes in comments will be deleted.
> 
> Also, statistics Max mentions are from this thread: https://twitter.com/FYeahAsexual/status/1229480790305558528?s=09 . Percentage was taken around 5 PM EST, stats may have changed since.


End file.
